Thursday, June 23, 2005

THE LION, RATS, SNAKE AND THE HONEYCOMBOnce a man saw in his dream, that a lion was chasing him. The man ran to a tree, climbed on to it and sat on a branch. He looked down and saw that the lion was still there waiting for him.

The man then looked to his side where the branch he was sitting on was attached to the tree and saw that two rats were circling around and eating the branch. One rat was black and the other one was white. The branch would fall on the ground very soon.

The man then looked below again with fear and discovered that a big black snake had come and settled directly under him. The snake opened its mouth right under the man so that he will fall into it.

The man then looked up to see if there was anything that he could hold on to. He saw another branch with a honeycomb. Drops of honey were falling from it. The man wanted to taste one of the drops. So, he put his tongue out and tasted one of the fallen drops of honey. The honey was amazing in taste. So, he wanted to taste another drop. As he did, he got lost into the sweetness of the honey.

Meanwhile, he forgot about the two rats eating his branch away, the lion on the ground and the snake that is sitting right under him. After a while, he woke up from his sleep.

To get the meaning behind this dream, the man went to a a pious scholar of Islam. The scholar said "The lion you saw is your death. It always chases you and goes where ever you go. The two rats, one black and one white, are the night and the day. Black one is the night and the white one is the day. They circle around, coming one after another, to eat your time as they take you closer to death. The big black snake with a dark mouth is your grave. It's there, just waiting for you to fall into it. The honeycomb is this world and the sweet honey is the luxuries of this world. We like to taste a drop of the luxuries of this world but it's very sweet. Then we taste another drop and yet another. Meanwhile, we get lost into it and we forget about our time, we forget about our death and we forget about our graves."by email from Zaheer Mahomed

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

STRENGTHENING ONES IMANThere are many du'as, and each of them will help one to increase their iman.

The increase of iman comes with the fulfillment of Allah's obligations and recommendations and abstaining from his prohibitions. Visiting the Muslim graveyard and pondering over death, and what is to come after death increases one's faith.

The remembrance of Allah increases iman and causes hearts to attain tranquility. Allah Most High says:"Indeed in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility" (13:28).

All the Qur'anic du'as and prophetic prayers help to make this happen. The best form of remembrance has been considered La ilaha illa 'Llah. Hence, an abundant recitation of this formula with concentration and devotion should have the desired effect, insha' Allah.

Al-Hizb al-Azam (The Great Litany) by Mulla Ali Al-Qari comprises of many duas from the Qur'an and hadith which are divided into seven sections to be recited throughout the week.

Sunday, June 19, 2005

MUHAMMAD BIN QASIM [695-715]A Noble Son of IslamMUHAMMAD BIN QASIM is undoubtedly one of the noblest sons of Islam. The most remarkable thing about him is that he combines the innocence of youth with the highest level of achievement. He was hardly seventeen when he led an army into Sind and conquered the whole of Sind and gave it a just and good government. These great achievements were attained in a strange, far off land, with the help of a few thousand countrymen. History has very few examples to put beside this one.

Muhammad bin Qasim strongly felt for the downtrodden masses who were suffering in the hands of rulers and gave them the basic human rights. All citizens were given equal rights. The Arab rule brought a new hope and new horizons for the down-trodden. The blessings of Arab rule were meant for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The Hindus were amazed at the treatment they received. Their temples remained intact, and the government even repaired temples. Three per cent of the income from land revenue was set aside for the upkeep of the temples. The priests continued to enjoy the rights they had enjoyed before.

Most of the government posts were filled by the Sindhis. Those who accepted Islam had to pay the poor-rate (Zakat). The non-Muslims had to pay the Jizya. This was a very light tax as compared with the poor rate. The rich Hindus had to pay fifteen rupees per year, middle-class Hindus paid seven rupees per year and the poorer Hindus had to pay only four rupees a year. Zakat or poor-rate was much more than this. Muslim citizens had not only to pay the poor rate; they could also be called for military duty. On the other hand, the Jizya freed the non-Muslims from military duty.

By his kind and just rule, Muhammad bin Qasim won the hearts of the Hindus. They loved and respected him even more than the Muslims did. In fact, they came to look upon him as a god.The cool courage, with which the young hero met his unjust fate, is beyond praise. He understood the temper of his age, and without a word of bitterness, passed through the hardest of ordeals to which a man can be subjected.Conquest of MultanAfter occupying Aror, Muhammad marched toward Multan in the west Punjab which was ruled by a cousin of Dahar. Muhammad sent him a message saying, "We have taken the whole of Sind. If you, too, give in, you will receive the best of treatment. But if you choose to fight, you and your people will suffer."

To this the ruler of Multan replied, "I am strong enough to defend my city. I will never give in without a fight."

The Multan army marched some distance from the city to check the Arab advance but the Arabs squarely defeated them.

The siege of Multan went on for several weeks. But its soldiers showed no signs of weakness. On the other hand, provisions and supplies of the Arabs were rapidly running out. This set them thinking hard for a way to cut short the siege. Just then a man deserted from the city and came to the Muslim camp. He was brought before Muhammad bin Qasim. "I will tell you," he said, "how you can bring the people of Multan to their knees. They get all their water supply from yonder canal, which flows from underground into the city. Cut off the water supply and Multan will cry for mercy.

The plan was immediately tried and soon Multan was in Arab hands.

Hajjaj's DeathALL was ready for a march into the heart of Hindustan when the news of Hajjaj's death reached Sind. The news made Muhammad very, very sad. Hajjaj was his uncle and father-in-law. Hajjaj had been paying personal attention to every small detail of the campaign. He had been sending men and supplies to far off Sind, whenever need arose. This source of guidance and help now lay dried up.

Hajjaj was one of the most trusted and the ablest officers of the Caliph. Walid thought that the success in Sind was solely due to Hajjaj. Now that Hajjaj was no more, the Caliph though it wise to call a halt in Sind.Walid's DeathIn the year 715 Walid died. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Suleman. The new Caliph was deadly against the men who were close to Walid. Walid and Suleman were real brothers. Their father, Abdul Malik, had said in his will that Walid should be Caliph after him and Suleman should succeed Walid. On becoming Caliph, Walid tried to set aside the father's will. He wanted his own son, rather than his brother, to succeed him. Hajjaj was Walid's right-hand man. He encouraged the Caliph in this plan. However, the plan fell through because of Hajjaj's sudden death.

Suleman's action did much harm to the cause of Islam. He began undoing much of what Walid had done. Under Walid, the Muslim Empire had expanded rapidly both in the east and the west under Hajjaj, Muhammad bin Qasim and Musa bin Nusair, Tariq bin Ziyad. Under Suleman, the expansion suddenly stopped. The new Caliph dismissed the able generals who had made these conquests. The only fault of these heroes of Islam was that they had been appointed by Walid.

Muhammad bin Qasim's DismissalSULEMAN dismissed the brave young Conqueror of Sind and sent a new governor in his place. The new Caliph ordered that Muhammad bin Qasim be put in chains and sent as a prisoner to Iraq. When these orders reached Muhammad, he was all-powerful in Sind. He was loved by the army and the people alike. It was easy for him to disobey the Caliph. He could throw off the nominal yoke of Suleman and become an independent ruler. The people of Sind almost worshipped him. He could live here as a free citizen and no one could lay hands on him.It was open to Muhammad bin Qasim to do any of these things. But he was a true son of Islam. The words of the Holy Quran, "Obey Allah and the Apostle and those from among you, who have been raised to authority," rang in his ears. He could not disobey the command of Allah. Silently but boldly, he carried out the Caliph's orders. He thereby set a lofty example of a keen sense of duty to Alalh and to his country.

Tragic EndAs soon as Muhammad bin Qasim reached Iraq. Salih, the Viceroy of the eastern provinces shut him up in the prison at Wasit. To be related to the late Hajjaj was the worst crime in the eyes of the men then in power. But even at this dark moment, the young hero was not sorry for himself. He was only sorry for his people. All he said was "Alas I have been lost to my people. It is a pity they have lost a young man who was of service to them in battles."

A little later he said, "Today I am in chains, but I don't feel sad. I am the one who defeated great warriors and put to the sword many a brave young man.'

The gallant young Conqueror of Sind never came out of prison. It is not known how he met his end, but he was certainly tortured to death. Thus ended a career so full of promise and so devoted to the highest of ideals.

At the time of death Muhammad was in his early twenties. His sun set long before it was even midday. History will never forgive the men who committed this act of barbarity.The young conquerer left Sind after a few years stay. However, his good name lived on. Today, after more than 1200 years, not only the Pakistanis but Muslims all over the world feel proud of him. It was he who first brought the light of Islam to India. Thus, in a stricter sense, it is he who was the first founder of Pakistan.

Allah's peace and blessings be on this gallant, young Conqueror of Sind who so selflessly worked for the greater glory of Allah!

Thursday, June 16, 2005

A WATCH IN THE SAND?Suppose you found a watch in the middle of the desert. What would you conclude? Would you think someone had dropped the watch? Or would you suppose that the watch came by itself?

Of course, no sane person would say the watch just happened to emerge from the sand. All the intricate working parts could not simply develop from the metals that lay buried in the earth. The watch must have a manufacturer.

If a watch tells an accurate time, we expect the manufacturer must be intelligent. Blind chance cannot produce a working watch.

But what else tells accurate time? Consider the sunrise and the sunset. Their timings are so strictly regulated that scientists can publish in advance the sunrise and sunset times in your daily newspapers. But who regulated the timings of sunrise and sunset? If a watch cannot work without an intelligent maker, how can the sun appear to rise and set with such clockwork regularity? Could this occur by itself?

Consider also that we benefit from the sun only because it remains at a safe distance from the earth. A distance that averages 93 million miles. If it got much closer, the earth would burn up. And if it got too far away, the earth would turn into an icy planet making human life here impossible. Who decided in advance that this was the right distance? Could it just happen by chance?

There is no power or might except Allah the most high the great.by email from Zaheer Mahomed

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

TAWAKKULAs we near the end of exam period I thought this would post would be well timed.

As for putting all one's trust in the Lord [tawakkul], the basic guidance on the subject is contained in His words (Almighty and Glorious is He) :And when someone puts all his trust in Allah, He will be enough for him. (65:3)--and in His words (Exalted is He) :And put all your trust [in Allah], if you are indeed believers. (5:23)Anas ibn Malik (R.A) is reported as having said:"A man once rode into town on a fine she-camel of his, and he said: 'O Messenger of Allah (pbuh), shall I just leave her unattended, and put my trust in the Lord [ada'u-ha wa atawakkalu]?' So the Prophet (pbuh) told him: 'Hobble her feet with a rope, and put your trust in the Lord!'"

Ibrahim al-Khawwas (Rahmatullah Alayhi):"The real meaning [haqiqa] of absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] is the detachment of fear and hope from everything apart from Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He)."

Other sayings :

"Absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] is living one day at a time, and dispensing with concern about tomorrow."

"Absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] means the banishment of doubts, and the delegation [tafwid] of one's concerns to the King of kings [Malik al-muluk]."

If some difficulty is encountered in relation to the material means [asbab], it is due to the decree of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), and if something is found to be easy in that regard, it is due to His facilitation (Almighty and Glorious is He). The limbs and organs of the physical body, and all the external faculties [zawahir], must therefore be actively involved in the instrumental process [mutaharrika bi's-sabab], in compliance with the commandment of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), while the inner being [batin] remains calmly reliant on the promise of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He).

"If you had to adopt tawakkul (trust) o­n Allah in the proper meaning of tawakkul, then He will bestow rizq (sustenance) to you in the same way as the birds are being fed. They emerge (from their nests) in the morning hungry and they return in the evening satiated." (Hadith)www.themajlis.net

Sunday, June 12, 2005

TARIQ BIN ZIYADTariq ibn Ziyad was sent by Musa ibn Nusayr in the year 711 AD as a chief commander to conquer Andalus. His men numbered 12000-17000. On his journey he decided to take some rest and sleep. It is said whilst sailing across the sea, which separates Africa from Andalus, he saw in his dream the prophet (pbuh) surrounded by arabs of the Muhajiruun and Ansaars, who with unsheathed swords and bended bows stood by him. They also heard the prophet (pbuh) say " take courage, O Tariq! and accomplish what you are destined to perform. " On hearing this, he looked around him and saw the messenger of Allah (pbuh) and his companions entering Andalus. Tariq immediately awoke from his sleep with a smile, and from that moment on he never doubted victory. Tariq advanced towards a small mountain in the sea which later became known as Jabal Tariq (Mount Tariq) derived from which is the modern name: Gibraltar. Here Tariq and his army disembarked into the darkness of the night. He then set fire to his fleet and in his determination to conquer Andalus he told his army " I have now burnt the ships, and now there is no return for us and here we will conquer or die fighting."

The king of the time, King Roderick, heard about the seizure and immediately prepared his army which numbered 100,000. King Roderick set off with confidence that they will make each and every Arab his prisoner. Roderick took his army to Cordova to attack Tariq and his armies.

Before the battle, Tariq gave a speech which portrayed his valiance, determination and ideology regarding the life after death. In this speech he also mentioned his desire to kill King Roderick with his own hands. After his influential speech, Tariq and his army with their white turbans and spears in their hands proceeded towards the battlefield. When Tariq reached the battlefield he saw his ambition and aimed his arrow towards him and killed him. He had now fulfilled his long felt desire and gained victory for the Muslims. It is said in the confusion that followed the defeated Christian soldiers fled for their lives, the body of King Roderick had also disappeared. The Muslims had a zeal for knowledge, they were advanced in architecure and were masters in science.

When Tariq and his army conquered a large portion of Spain in 711-718 AD, which mainly consisted of the Moors who were a Muslim tribe from North Africa, they immediately implemented Islamic law ( Shariah ) with Caliphates. the muslim ruled with islamic law for over 800 years. However when the Muslim government of Spain collapsed during the early 1000s due to the fighting amongst the groups of Moors, the country split into many small Moorish states and independent cities. This was not the only reason for the downfall of a nation which ruled for many centuries. This was due to the fact that the leaders did not rule according to the Islamic law and chose an un-islamic life.

Below is an extract from the hadith. Abdullah ibn Umar narrates ; "The Prophet (pbuh) came to us and said O muhajiruun, you may be afflicted by five things, may Allah forbid you live to see them, if leaders do not govern according to the book of Allah, you should realize this will not happen without Allah making them into groups and making them fight another. " ( Ibn Majah, Kitab al Fitan, 4019,2/1332 ) you can see from this small extract how the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had advanced knowledge of the future and how correct his prophecies were to be.Inter-islam

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Hadrat Zaid bin ‘Arqam (R.A) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Whoever says La ilaaha illal-laahu… sincerely will enter the Paradise.” It was said: And what is the [sign of] sincerity? He said: “That this kalimah stops him from those things which Allah has forbidden.” (Tabaraani in Awsat-ul-Kabeer)

“Do you not see how Allah puts forth the likeness of a good word (kalimah tayyibah)? It is like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and whose branches reach to the sky. It brings forth its fruit in all seasons by the command of its Lord. And Allah sets forth parables for men, so that they may take heed. And the likeness of an evil word (kalimah khabeetha- a word of shirk) is like an evil tree, which is uprooted from the face of the earth, and has no stability.” (Quran XIV: 24-26)

Monday, June 06, 2005

ABU MUSLIM KHOLANI (R.A)It is a well known miracle of Hadhrat Ibraaheem (A.S) that Namrud, the infidel king, had cast him into the fire to burn him alive but by the Mercy of Allah Ta’ala, the fire didn’t harm even a single hair of his head.

Allah Ta’ala manifested a similar incident for Hadhrat Abu Muslim Kholani (Rahmatullaah Alayhi), a venerable Buzrug of the Ummat-i-Muhammadiyyah.

Aswad `Ansi of Yemen, a false claimer of prophethood summoned Hadhrat Abu Muslim and asked him to verify his claim. Hadhrat Abu Muslim flatly refused to do so saying he firmly believed only Muhammad (pbuh) to be the last prophet of Allah. Furious, Aswad Ansi asked for a huge fire to be built. He then had Abu Muslim thrown it in, but Allah Ta’ala in His Divine mercy did not allow the fire to harm him and he came out of it alive. His people advised Aswad Ansi to let him alone, but, they said if he stays here he will turn the people against you, so it is best that you banish him forever. Aswad acted upon their advice and ordered Abu Muslim Kholani to leave the country.

From Yemen, Hadhrat Abu Muslim made his way to Madina-e-Tayyibah. By the time he arrived in the city, Rasulullah (pbuh) had died and Hadhrat Abu Bakr (R.A) had become the first Khalifah. When he came to the Musjid-e-Nabawiy, Hadhrat Abu Muslim tied his camel to a post and standing behind a pillar started offering Salaat. Hadhrat Umar (R.A) saw him and asked, ‘Where are you from?’ ‘Yemen’, was the answer.

As news of a Muslim being thrown into the fire and his remaining safe by the grace of Allah Ta’ala, had by this time reached Madina. Hadhrat Umar (R.A) asked, ‘What about our friend their who had been thrown into a fire by the enemy of Allah but had come out alive?’ ‘That was Abdullah ibn … (Soab).’ Abdullah bin Soab was also Hadhrat Abu Muslim’s name.

Hadhrat Umat got up, kissed him on the forehead and too him to Hadhrat Abu Bakr (R.A).

‘Praised be Allah Ta’ala that I am alive to see the person who went through exactly that which Hadhrat Ibraaheem (A.S) had gone through.’ He told Hadhrat Abu Bakr (R.A).

Hadhrat Abu Muslim Kholani lived to see the rule of Hadhrat Mu’awiya (R.A). Mu’awiya (R.A) used to accord him great respect and he kept on giving advice, sometimes even harsh advice on Hadhrat Mu’awiya (R.A) who listened to it with great attention and respect.

Once during the rule of Hadhrat Mu’awiya (R.A), government officials had not received their salaries for three months. One day, when Hadhrat Mu’awiya stood up to deliver a Khutbah, Abu Muslim broke in saying, ‘O Mu’awiya (R.A) this wealth is not yours, nor your father’s nor mother’s.’

Hadhrat Mu’awiya (R.A) gestured to the people to wait, went inside and took a bath. He then returned and said, ‘O people! Abu Muslim has said that this wealth does not belong to me, nor to my father nor mother. Abu Muslim is right, and I have heard Rasulullah (pbuh) saying that anger is cased by Satan and Satan is born of fire and water puts out a fire. Thus, whenever one of you feels angry, he should go and take a bath. Now, you may all go and receive your wages. May Allah Ta’ala bestow abundances in them.’Dharb-i-MuminMadrasah In'aamiyyah

Thursday, June 02, 2005

THE EMPEROR AND THE BEGGARAn emperor was coming out of his palace for his morning walk when he met a beggar. He asked the beggar, "What do you want?" the beggar laughed and said, "You are asking me as though you can fulfill my desire." The king was offended. He said, "Of course I can fulfill your desire. What is it? Just tell me." And the beggar said, "Think twice before you promise anything." The beggar was no ordinary beggar. So he insisted, "I will fulfill anything you ask. I am a very powerful emperor, what can you possibly desire that I can not give to you?" The beggar said, "It is a very simple desire. You see this begging bowl? Can you fill it with something?"

The emperor said, "Of course!" He called one of his viziers and told him, "Fill this man's begging bowl with money." The vizier went and got some money and poured it into the bowl, and it disappeared. And he poured more and more, but the moment he would pour it, it would disappear. And the begging bowl remained always empty.

The whole palace gathered. By and by the rumor went throughout the whole capital, and a huge crowd gathered. The prestige of the emperor was at stake. He said to his viziers, "If the whole kingdom is lost, I am ready to lose it, but I cannot be defeated by this beggar."

Diamonds and pearls and emeralds, his treasuries were becoming empty. The begging bowl seemed to be bottomless. Everything that was put into it -- everything! -- immediately disappeared, and went out of existence. Finally it was the evening, and the people were standing there in utter silence. The king dropped at the feet of the beggar and admitted his defeat. He said, "Just tell me one thing. You are victorious - but before you leave, just fulfill my curiosity. What is the begging bowl made of?"

The beggar laughed and said, "It is made up of the human mind. There is no secret. It is simple made up of human desire."

This understanding transforms life. Go into one desire -- what is the mechanism of it? First there is a great excitement, great thrill, adventure.

Something is going to happen, you are on the verge of it. And then you have your chariot and your palace and all the diamonds of the world, suddenly all is meaningless again.

What happens? Your mind has dematerialized it. The chariot is standing in the driveway, but there is no excitement anymore. The excitement was only in getting it. You became so drunk with the desire that you forgot your inner nothingness. Now the desire is fulfilled, the chariot in the driveway, the diamonds in your very hands-- again excitement disappears. Again the emptiness is there, ready to eat you up. Again you have to create another desire to escape this yawning abyss.

That's how one moves from one desire to another desire. That's how one remains a beggar, in reality it is truly you who is the beggar, Your whole life proves it again and again -- every desire frustrates. And when the goal is achieved, you will need another desire.

The day you understand that desire as such is going to fail comes the turning point in your life, I am content with all my Lord the most high has provided me,

The other journey is to your Lord which you cannot escape.."He created the heavens and the earth in just proportions and has given you shape, and has made your shapes beautiful : and to Him is the final goal.''by email from Zaheer Mahomed

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